My car died on the way to school yesterday. I was stuck about 70 miles outside the city. While waiting for my car to get fixed, I ate at a Ponderosa thinking that I could get salad and healthy stuff. I did eat a salad with low-cal dressing but I also had a slice of meatloaf, sweet potatoes, carrots, stuffing, and apple cobbler. Needless to say, even though all of this food fit on one plate (no multiple trips for me) I feel gross.

So, today I tried to order something healthy for lunch- eggplant parm (seriously- it was that or deep dish pizza) but of course it was huge and came with fries. I avoided the fries but I ate 80% or the sandwich.

I feel so gross and fat. I also started my happy time.

Any advice on how to get back on the wagon? I really don't want to back track.

Hi Ally. It's exactly what you said in your title - just a little bump that's all. Stick to your planned meals for the rest of the day and then make plans from tomorrow and stick to them. You've lost, I forget but was it 45 lbs? You didn't do that by accident. I'm positive you're not going to let this slide, there's no point.

I just had a complete weekend where I binged the entire time. You still did really well during your lunch - you avoided fries that were sitting right in front of you! That's pretty good, I think.
But I've learned that all you need to do it stop right now and get back on track. Don't allow yourself to think, "Well, I had a couple bad meals, might as well keep going!"
Good luck!

sometimes a binge isnt such a bad thing. i recently binged on my favorite food for a whole weekend and now i never want to eat it again. it did help because i was snacking on it everyday and now i cant stand to see it.

Hey AllyCat30! Nice to see you.

First of all, it's hard to order at restaurants as you know. But it can help to get used to leaving behind the food you shouldn't eat if you can't take it with you. With something like the eggplant parm, immediately divide it in half or even thirds, ask for a box, and put half or two-thirds in the box and eat what's still on the plate. Whether you actually take the box with you is up to you-- depends on whether you can keep it from spoiling until you get it home for someone else to eat, or for you to eat over a couple of days' time.

Also, you can always ask them NOT to give you the fries. Most restaurants are happy to do that--and may even offer a better substitute.

If I go to a buffet type place, I make decisions ahead of time about what I'm going to put on my plate. I try to think of protein first, and green salad, and vegetables. I skip the carbohydrates like pasta or potatoes, or only have a small amount, and I never take a dessert. Never. If it's not on my plate, I can't eat it.

Good luck! You were doing well! And this was just a bump, as Doughnut said.

Jay

Thanks for the advice and support everyone. I just worked out and I hope that will make me feel better. I haven't had anything greasy or carby in so long and now I just feel so bloated. I think I will just have a mixed greens salad tonight. Bleh.

Sometimes getting that bloated feeling will help keep you on track now. You're fine and will be on plan now! Don't beat yourself up anymore!!

Maybe a little perspective.... I recognize that you went off your plan, and had a bigger meal than you planned. BUT, 3 of the 6 things you ate at Ponderosa were VEGETABLES, for Heaven's sake! And of the others, OK, meatloaf isn't the leanest meat around, stuffing is a legitimate (albeit on the high-cal side) side dish, and you had 1, I repeat, ONE dessert. Big meal, sure, but no more than the average Ponderosa-goer ate that day, I'm sure. You wouldn't want to eat that way every day, or you would almost certainly plateau, but I'd hardly call that a binge. As for lunch the next day, I'd say you did pretty well -ordered the healthiest you could, give the options. And only the strongest among us could look at fries for the whole meal and not have one.

Just get back on track today - you'll be fine.